My Skincare Routine with Dermalogica

So, I'm officially in love with my skincare routine! I've been wanting to switch-up my skincare products for a while. Now I'm in my twenties I want to protect my skin from any damage or wear-and-tear that could age my skin. I've wanted Dermalogica products* for a while but did a lot of research before I committed myself to one skincare system. 

I'm a fan of Chloe Boucher's make-up looks and some time ago she shared her skincare routine using Dermalogica products. After I saw her video I was 100% sold and followed her advice on getting the travel-size set first. 

When you go on the Dermalogica website you can find out what your skin-type is and choose your products accordingly. I have combination skin - prone to getting little dry patches, but with an oily t-zone ... annoying! So I chose the normal/oily skin kit so that I can tackle my oily zones and then in the dry areas, I add an extra layer of my normal Nivea moisturiser (which I find really moisturising on the driest areas but it doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy).

So here are the products I use on a daily basis ...

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel

First I use a pea-sized amount of the 'Special Cleansing Gel' and lather it with water all over my face. You only need a small amount for this product to do it's job!

Dermalogica Mutli-Active Toner

I then spritz my face with about 3 pumps of the 'Multi-Active Toner' and gently pat this into my skin.

Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub

I don't use the 'Skin Prep Scrub' every single day as I don't feel that my skin needs it (I also love the scrub I have from St Ives).

Dermalogica Active Moist

I then put 3 pea-sized drops of the 'Active Moist' cream gently all over my face and neck before dabbing the 'Total Eye Care' cream delicately around my eyes.

Dermalogica Total Eye Care

I also use the Dermalogica 'Precleanse' sometimes, which is great for when you've used more make-up for a heavier 'night-out' face, and also the 'Soothing Eye Make-Up Remover' for any stubborn smokey-eye make-up and mascara. Both of these products aren't included in the travel set, but are definitely worth purchasing in addition to the skincare system if you're someone who wears make-up everyday or experiments with heavier looks. 

I'd love to hear what other skincare products people are loving!

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

*This blogpost was not sponsored by Dermalogica or any other brand. I purchased all of the products shown myself. 

Maybelline 'Fast & Fashion Look' Travel Set

How cute is this little Maybelline make-up travel set? It has products in it which I will actually use on a daily basis - which isn't always the case when you get a set of products sold together. My Mum picked it up for me from the airport - she's forever surprising me with little presents which I am so grateful for. She actually got me another one of these Maybelline travel sets the week before which is full of other stuff which I'll also put up very soon.

Inside this travel set there is:

- 1 x Rocket Volum' Express Mascara

- 1 x Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream

- 1 x Superstay 14hr Lipstick

- 1 x Mini Make-Up Remover

I've tried all of them, except for the make-up remover so far, and I'm impressed. The lip colour is really flattering and I can imagine it being a good shade for all skin tones. I'd never tried the BB Cream before so I think I'll use it a few more times and perhaps write a review for it once I've given it a good testing!

 

 

Do you use any of these products? What do you think?

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

Urban Decay Shadow Box

I received the Urban Decay 'Shadow Box' as one of my Christmas presents from Andy's family. I love all things Urban Decay, but at first I was a little apprehensive of some of the brighter, more colourful shades as I don't usually wear such bold eye-shadows. After a couple of weeks of playing with this palette, however, I absolutely adore all of the colours and am surprised at how well they all work together and individually.

Here are my thoughts on the palette in case anyone is considering purchasing it! 

Product:  

At first I was a little bit scared of the brighter colours, but after using them all they compliment each other surprisingly well. This Urban Decay palette is more of what I would call a "going out" palette compared to the Naked collections. I have used it day-to-day though so it can be used whatever the occasion.

The eye-shadows are very pigmented - just as you'd expect from Urban decay. The shades are all metallic and can be lightly swept on, or built-up to make a bolder look.

There is a little mirror in the compact which is always useful, but the biggest downfall for me it that there is no brush. The Naked palettes all come with double-ended applicators, but with this one you'll have to find your own. 

Value for Money: 

This was a Christmas gift so I didn't pay for it. I've looked online though and the palette retails for £27.99. I would definitely pay this myself for any Urban Decay products as I know they are good quality and last a good amount of time.

Packaging:

Edgy and fashionable looking, but it doesn't feel as sturdy as the Naked Palettes which usually are encased in a tin compact. The Shadow Box feels a little cardboardy, but this doesn't put me off the product.

Would I recommend it to a friend: 

Yes! The subtler shades can be used for an everyday face, whilst the brighter colours can make an evening face 'pop'. I would recommend my friend buy this palette, but also recommend they buy some brushes too.

TOP: (R-L) Baked Cowboy, Moonshadow, Freelove, Lost, Mushroom, Flash.
BOTTOM: (R-L) Blackout, Smog, Tornado, Bordello, Indo, Sin,

I hope this review has been helpful! What do you think of the Urban Decay Shadow Box?


Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

Keeping Moisturised all Year Round!

It's wintertime now, and I can feel my skin becoming more dry since the heating's been turned on. I use simple moisturisers as I'm still fairly young, but I will soon be looking at investing in some more up-market anti-ageing skincare products. 

Here are just a few of the products I'm currently using whatever the weather:

Hair:

Pictured is the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor. I love the smell of all the Aussie products and how soft they make my hair feel. I use this treatment and a couple of other Argan Oil ones, once a week (ok, sometimes once a fortnight if I remember)!

Body:
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula  -  I know this body butter is meant for stretch-marks, but it feel so hydrating on the skin! I use this on my whole upper body, hips and thighs. It leaves my skin feeling so healthy and I know I'm protecting my skin in preparation for future pregnancies (hopefully) and to reduce the likelihood of stretch-marks.

Face (& Body):

I know I shouldn't, but I use Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream on my face every day. The smell is so clean and fresh, and I love how the cream sinks into my skin leaving it feeling super soft and hydrated! I also use this product on my body and hands. I do probably need to by a face cream though!

Lips:
Wearing Nivea's Lip Butter it's SO hard not to lick your lips! It smells AMAZING and tastes sweet too! I don't usually put lip balm on as I usually wear moisturising lipsticks, but this winter my lips have definitely needed a little bit of extra care!

I would love to know what products you use to keep your whole body feeling good - let me know in the comments below!

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

BeautyUK Products - Review

I bought some BeautyUK products two weeks ago and have been testing them out. See what I think of these budget beauty buys below!

BeautyUK  -  Posh Palette no.1  -  EDEN

BeautyUK  -  Posh Palette no.1  -  EDEN

Product:  

I like the selection of colours this palette has - a combination of matte and metallic shades of nude, bronzes and browns. I felt I could use every single colour on the palette - unlike some others where I don't like all of the eye-shadows.

However, this is where all the positives end. The eye-shadows aren't as pigmented as Urban Decay's shadows. The brushes are cheap looking and feel cheap also. They aren't great at blending or even getting the colour from the palette. 

The eye-shadow does stay put all day, but don't have such a dramatic effect or coverage as other higher branded eye-shadows.

Value for Money: 

I bought the product for £5.99 from Superdrug.

The palette was very reasonably priced in comparison to other branded palettes, but you pay for quality. 

Packaging:

Simple, clean and basic. Not awful to look at, but not overly glamorous. 

Would I recommend it to a friend: 

I would recommend it to a friend who cannot afford a more high-end palette, but I would explain the downfalls of the product.

BeautyUK  -  High Brow  -  Eyebrow Kit

BeautyUK  -  High Brow  -  Eyebrow Kit

Product:

In this eyebrow kit you get:
a double ended brush with an angled brush and a blending brush,

tweezers,

eyebrow wax, and

three shades of setting powder.

I used both ends of the brush, the wax and the lightest setting powder shade. The wax felt really strange to apply and on my eyebrow at first. Once I had coloured in my eyebrows with the setting powder, however, I soon forgot about the wax and liked the way my eyebrows looked.

I didn't use the tweezers so I don't know if they are any good, and I also have not used the dark brown or black setting powders as they would be far too dark for my hair / complexion. 

The brush provided isn't great quality, so I would recommend using an alternative one if possible.

Value for Money:

I bought this BeautyUK Eyebrow Kit for £3.99 from Superdrug.

I don't mind paying £3.99 for this product, but I probably could buy a slightly better branded kit for only a few pounds more. I think that if you're working with a tight budget, this product is alright.

Packaging:

Like the other BeautyUK products, the eyebrow kit comes in simple packaging. For this product I don't mind the minimalistic look.

Would I recommend it to a friend:

For a product under four pounds, I think this is an okay purchase. If you have a bigger budget though - get a nicer version!

BeautyUK  -  Blush & Brush  -  no.3 Upper East Side 

BeautyUK  -  Blush & Brush  -  no.3 Upper East Side

Product:
I quite like this shade for the more autumnal seasons. I've been wearing a peach-coloured blusher until recently, but I feel like now the weather's a bit cooler I want a more pink-coloured shade. 
I like the shade of this blush, but I use my own brush to apply it to my cheekbones because the brush provided isn't fantastic.

Value for Money:
This blusher is £2.99 from Superdrug, which I think is very cheap for a blusher. 

Packaging:
Simple, compact, easy to fit into any make-up bag. Nothing fancy, but it's not like you need anything over-the-top for a simple blush.

Would I recommend it to a friend:
Yes. Out of the BeautyUK products I tried, this is probably the only one I would talk to a friend about. It cheap, a nice shade and lasts all day.


Thanks for checking out my review! Have you tried any of these BeautyUK products (or any of their others)? What did you think?

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

Primark & Superdrug Haul

I am absolutely loving the new stuff in Primark at the moment! I just had to go there and buy a few bits. I also went to Superdrug to pick up some beauty necessities.

In Primark I got ...

A cute pastel blue 'Long Beach' tank top (top left; £3), a white 'Palm Beach' tank top (top right; £3), a mint 'If found please return to the beach' tank top (bottom right; £5), a neon pink and white palm tree print scarf (bottom left; £4) and some adorable dog-print wrapping paper (far right; £1). I also bought some really cute pyjamas for Andy's Sister's birthday, but I haven't pictured them - just in case she's reading this! Haha! I love all my Primark purchases - everything's so bright and summery! And cheap! 

In Superdrug I got ...

Two large cans of Batiste Dry Shampoo in 'Blush' - Superdrug are currently selling Batiste at half price, so if you use it, go and stock up ladies! 

I got Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation in 'Nude' and Maybelline Falsies Mascara in 'Black'. These are both staple items in my makeup bag. Superdrug are doing a '3 for 2' deal on makeup at the moment, so I got Maybelline Super Stay Nail Polish in 'Mint for Life' for FREE! I love stocking up on beauty essentials when there are offers or discounts running. What's the point in spending extra money on things you use every day? 

What do you think of my little haul purchases? Have you seen Primark's new lines? 

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo

Mini TKMaxx Haul

I'm not a massive fan of TKMaxx. I know people either love it or they hate it - I don't hate it, I just can't stand the fact that nothing is in order! Haha! My Mum LOVES TKMaxx. She could spend hours digging through all the mismatching, jumbled up, designer labelled heaps of discounted products. My Mum somehow always seems to find the best bargains from the best labels - I on the other hand don't have the patience!

Over the weekend I visited TKMaxx with my Dad as he needed to get a few items, and while I was there I picked up some bits which I'll show you now. I'm actually really happy with all my purchases and it was of the most stress-free visits to TK's that I've had yet!

Mini TKMaxx Haul

My mini haul.

Argania Spinosa 'Liquid Gold' from Morocco.

I was drawn to this 'Organic Argan Oil' Hair Mask because it says "Liquid Gold" on the label ... I know I'm a sucker for good advertising and product labels!!! I'm always looking for good hair products and I can't wait to try this one out! It was £7.99 reduced from £14.99.

Paname Paris Tweezers.

These are the best tweezers I have ever used!

These tweezers are literally the BEST tweezers I have ever owned! They are pretty but also do the job very well. I've bought countless tweezers in the past that were so rubbish at actually gripping a hair (or anything for that matter). I would recommend this brand to anybody that's fed up with crappy tweezers! These were £2.99 reduced from £8.99.

Argania Hair Oil  -  Light (100ml / 3.4fl.oz)

I usually buy Moroccan Oil, but it can be expensive when you're tight on money. I saw several different variations of Argan Oil hair products at TKMaxx and decided on this one. Maybe I was convinced by the similarity in the packaging to the expensive Moroccan Oil. I'm intrigued to see how this oil treatment compares. The oil was £9.99 reduced from £19.99.

Anne Klein Cosmetics Purse.

Finally, my make-up bag has been looking tired for sometime now. I've been keeping an eye out for a cute make-up bag to replace my current one, and only now have I found one that I like, that's not too big or too small. This Anne Klein cosmetics purse was £12.99 (I can't find the sticker which had the original retail price on it - sorry!).

Are you a TKMaxx fan? Or do you find it stressful to have to rummage around for hidden treasures?

Love & Kisses, 

Vicki xoxo

Mini Highs Street Make-Up Haul

I needed to go into town this morning to get a new blusher after my current one smashed, and I bought a few beauty products from the high street at the same time. Here are some of the items I got - I'll review the ones I've never used before in a later blogpost. 

Mini High Street Beauty Haul

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Light Matte.

I've used this Rimmel Instant Tan for quite a while now. If I doing a full-face of make-up I usually put a thin layer of this underneath. When you're on a night out, taking photographs with flash can make you look white-as-a-ghost, but if you have a layer of this underneath your foundation you look somewhat normal in nighttime pictures!

2true Nail Care Strengthener & Hardener

I've never used this clear Nail polish before but I just bought it as a cheap undercoat. The last time I went to a Nail Salon they told me off for not putting undercoats under my coloured nail varnishes so I decided to be a good girl and get some! Haha!

Brit Rocks Eyeluscious False Eyelashes

These eyelashes are great - they look just like some of the Eyelure Girls Aloud Lashes but are less than half the price. At £1.99, I definitely recommend these falsies for nights out, or just uber glam day looks.

Beauty UK Blush & Brush Set

I literally searched everywhere today for a peach / coral coloured blusher. All the popular brands just had pinks, reds and browns which was soo annoying. I'm a big fan of peachy, apricot coloured cheeks for a more youthful, and springtime / summery look. This blusher set was only £3.99 so I hope it comes out ok!

Barry M Lipstick in Shade 53

Keeping with the peach / apricot theme, I bought some pretty Barry M lipstick which looks really nice on. I love it!

Barry M Nail Paint in 279 Bright Pink

I definitely have an obsession with pink nail varnish! I have SO many but always manage to buy more. This shade is a bright, pastel shade which is perfect for making you feel less wintery!

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Shade 39

Superdrug had 3 for 2 on Barry M products, so I got this Dazzle Dust free with my shop today. I like how it can be used subtly or can be packed on with a brush for a more dramatic look. It's a warm colour which, again, goes with my warmer toned blusher and lipstick purchases.

What are your favourite high street beauty products? Do you have any recommendations?

Love & Kisses,

Vicki xoxo